This document discusses church revitalization, focusing on the role of small groups and the necessity of trained leadership. It emphasizes the importance of intentional interaction and the need for a clear vision and mission in ministry, highlighting that spiritual growth and skills development must coexist. The overall goal is to transform congregations beyond mere social gatherings into vital faith communities that address public spiritual needs.

1. Revitalize Your
Church
An Educational Nugget on Pastoral
Leadership
based on the writings of Thomas G. Bandy
The Rev. Dr. Pablo A. Jiménez
www.drpablojimenez.net

2. Introduction
• This is our third and final educational
nugget on church revitalization, based on
theories developed by Thomas G. Bandy.
• In this occasion, we address the role of
small groups in church revitalization & we
stress the importance of vision & mission
for Christian ministry.

3. Topics
• Once again, we shall refer to the
contributions made by Thomas G. Bandy,
an expert on church growth and
revitalization.
• In particular, we will refer to the ideas that
Bandy presents in Kicking Habits: Welcome
Relief for Addicted Churches (Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1997).

5. Small Groups

6. An Important Tool
• As stated our the earlier educational
nuggets, the Thriving Church offers
different opportunities for faith
development.
• Small groups are an important tool
for revitalizing your congregation.

7. Trained Leaders
• Every small group must have a leader or a
leadership team that is gifted and called to
that ministry.
• This is the “eldership” of the Church. These
leaders are the “pastors,” “shepherds,” and
“mentors” of the group. They not only share
enthusiasm for the group’s mutual interest,
but they are trained in prayer, Scripture, and
counseling.

8. Communication
• Beyond dealing with the content of group life,
leaders must also be trained in group process
and communication skills, so that they can
help the group build the trust and intimacy
that overcome inevitable personality conflicts.
• They will become the caregivers who will be
the first contacts for group members in times
of crisis.

9. Weekday home gatherings
•Most groups will be outside the
Church building, usually in the
homes of the participants.

10. Time Commitment
• Participation in the group is not
“forever,” but for a specific period
of time (often nine months to year).

11. Interaction
• Through the small groups, all Church
members must purposely interact with
the public, communicating the degree of
joy authentic to their individual
discovery of faith, and exercising their
spiritual gifts as they have come to
understand them so far.

12. The Individual
• Is the individual participant who
controls the manner and pace of action
and witness with the community--not
the institution.

13. Intentional Multiplication
•The norm of small group life will
be for a group to divide and
multiply every nine to twelve
months.

14. Final Thoughts

15. The Call to Ministry
• If the calling is authentically of Christ, it
will address the spiritual yearning of the
public directly, clearly and powerfully.
• On the other hand, if the “calling” being
articulated by the Church does not
address the spiritual yearning of the
public, then it is an addiction.

16. Our Goal
• The goal is to be more than a civic club,
educational event, or fellowship
gathering.
• The goal is to always to defend faith,
and multiply opportunity for ministry
through the discernment of gifts and
callings.

17. Motivation vs. Control
• The dynamic organization is not
primarily interested in control, nor is it
preoccupied with survival.
• It is interested in motivation, and is eager
to transform itself into whatever form is
required to deliver mission to the point
of human need.

18. Vision
• The congregation must determine the
basic, fundamental, or essential vision,
beliefs, and values of Church life.
• This defines the essential identity of
the Church as it exists for the
participants today.

19. Suite
• No one could be engaged in personal
mission without regularly and
passionately participating in the worship
of the Church.
• If worship participation splits, the
pastoral leaders perceived this as a sure
sign that the unity of faith and action had
been broken.

20. Worship
• Worship lies at the core of the Thriving
Church organization.
• The worship services are so motivating in
enriching, that it is not possible to be
involved in the organization, the ministries, or
the small groups of the Church without
regularly attending worship throughout the
entire year.

21. Again, What is Vision?
• Vision is not a repetition of the heritage
of the Church, or an articulation of the
beliefs and values of past founders of the
Church.
• It is today’s answer to the key question,
What is it about our experience of Jesus
Christ that this community cannot live
without?

22. The Aim of Mission
• This means that skills development and
spiritual growth need to happen together.
• Training experiences designed by the human
resources team must included spiritual
exercises and coaching to share faith with
confidence. The aim of mission is always to
transform the whole person.

23. Vision & Power
•Finally, we must remember that
without the continuing experience of
God’s transforming power, any
mission activity, no matter how
altruistic, would spin out of the
Church.

24. The End
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